October, 2020 | últimas notícias

Secret Service agents, doctors aghast at Trump’s drive outside hospital – The Washington Post

Trump’s outing Sunday came as White House officials acknowledged that the president’s health deteriorated to the point where he received supplemental oxygen, something they previously refused to disclose. Trump’s doctor, Sean Conley, said Sunday that he was “trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, over his course of illness, has had.”

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/04/trump-hospital-drive-criticism/

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Anatomy of a White House response: Timeline of what officials said about Trump’s COVID-19 battle – USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – Ever since President Donald Trump announced early Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus, the White House has sent mixed signals about his condition and the timeline of events leading up to his transfer to the hospital.

That confusion was amplified Saturday when Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, offered a rosy assessment of the president’s condition only to be contradicted later by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who told Fox News that Trump’s condition before entering the hospital “concerned” aides and doctors.

Conley then clarified his remarks when he told reporters that Trump was “72 hours” into his diagnosis, a timeline that would have meant the White House knew he was sick Wednesday. Conley later said he should have described Saturday as the “third day” of Trump’s fight – that is, late Thursday, into Friday and then Saturday.

Here’s a look at the timeline of events since Trump announced his diagnosis:

Thursday, Oct. 1, 10:44 p.m. ET: Trump tweets that longtime aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for coronavirus. Reporters quickly establish that Hicks took recent trips with Trump, including aboard Marine One.

Trump says he will quarantine and says he’s awaiting test results.

Friday, Oct. 2, 12:45 a.m. ET.Trump announces on Twitter that he has tested positive for coronavirus, a stunning development with the potential to upend his campaign and his administration’s messaging on its response to the virus. White House officials later say Trump had received the test about an hour before the announcement.

Trump says first lady Melania Trump is also positive.

More:Trump, Melania test positive for coronavirus, president vows to begin quarantine

Trump is silent on whether he has symptoms, but White House physician Sean Conley says days later that Trump had developed a fever and congestion by Thursday night.

“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately,” Trump tweeted. “We will get through this TOGETHER!”

Oct. 2, 1:11 a.m. Conley releases a memo confirming the positive test result and asserts that the president and first lady plan “to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.” Trump istransferred to Walter Reed Medical Center later that day. The memo mentions no symptoms and few specifics.

Oct. 2. Trump cancels his public schedule, except for a midday phone call focused on patients most vulnerable to coronavirus. He later opts out of that call, handing it over instead to Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump remains almost entirely out of view and off Twitter, even as a bevy of Republicans announce they, too, have tested positive. Many of those officials attended an event at the White House on Sept. 26 to mark the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Oct. 2, 10:40 a.m. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows briefs reporters about the president’s condition at the White House. Meadows said the president had “mild symptoms,” but does not describe them. He says Trump remained “very energetic.”

Meadows, not wearing a mask, said the White House learned of Hicks’ positive test as Marine One was lifting off the South Lawn on Thursday to transport the president to a fundraiser in New Jersey. Questions later surface about why Trump attended the campaign event knowing he had been exposed to someone with a positive test result.

Oct. 2, around 1:20 p.m. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tells Fox News she’s not “going to get into an exact timeline” about when the White House knew about Hicks’ condition. She says the White House announced Trump’s results about an hour after his positive test result and described his symptoms as “mild.”

Oct. 2, before 6 p.m. Trump is given oxygen at the White House on Friday, according to the Associated Press. White House officials have declined to answer questions from USA TODAY about whether and when he received that treatment. Experts say it’s not uncommon for people with COVID-19 to have intermittent oxygen needs.

Oct. 2, 4:11 p.m. Conley releases a second memo, noting the president received an 8-gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail as a precautionary measure. The antibody cocktail is being studied in four late-stage clinical trials, and its safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated. The memo says that Trump experienced “fatigue” but does not mention fever, congestion or other symptoms Conley would not disclose until the next day. Oxygen is not mentioned.

Oct. 2, 6:16 p.m. Trump exits the White House and walks to Marine One for the short helicopter flight to Walter Reed Medical Center. Both Trump and Meadows are wearing masks. Trump gives a thumbs up but makes no remarks to reporters gathered on the South Lawn. He arrives at the Walter Reed landing zone at 6:29 p.m.

In a video released after his departure, Trump tells the public that he and the first lady are doing well.

More:President Trump hospitalized at Walter Reed after testing positive for COVID-19

“I’m going to Walter Reed Hospital, I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out,” Trump said. “The first lady is doing very well. So thank you very much. I appreciate it.”

Oct. 2, 11:47 p.m. Conley releases a third memo, disclosing that Trump has taken a course of Remdesivir, which has been authorized for COVID-19 patients by the Food and Drug Administration under an emergency use declaration. Trials have shown effectiveness under some circumstances. Conley writes that Trump “is not requiring any supplemental oxygen.” No additional symptoms are mentioned.

Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. Conley provides a briefing on the president’s condition at Walter Reed Medical Center, saying that the president’s symptoms are “now resolving and improving.” He discloses on the record for the first time that the president had a fever, but says Trump has been fever free for 24 hours.

But the briefing raises as many questions as it answers, specifically whether oxygen was administered to the president. Conley says no oxygen was administered Thursday, Saturday or Friday after Trump arrived at the hospital. But he does not rule out that oxygen was administered Friday before Trump traveled to Walter Reed.

More:Who is the president’s physician?

Oct. 3, around noon An administration official – later identified by the Associated Press and the New York Times as Meadows – met with reporters and described the president’s condition earlier in the week as “very concerning.”

The official said “the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.”

More:Trump’s condition ‘concerned’ staff, doctors on day of mixed messaging

Honoring conditions set by by the White House, a pool report sent to the White House press corps did not identify the official by name. However, a video posted online captured Meadows briefing the White House pool reporters after Conley’s remarks, identifying him as the source. Meadows made similar remarks to Fox News on the record later Saturday.

Oct. 3, 1:50 p.m. Conley releases a memo clarifying his “72 hours” remarks, saying he incorrectly used the term “72 hours” instead of “day three.”

Oct. 3, 6:51 p.m. Trump tweets a video of himself at Walter Reed, saying he is “starting to feel good” and is “doing well.” Wearing a blue blazer and white shirt and speaking directly to the camera, Trump said that when he arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center he “wasn’t feeling so well” but said he felt “much better now. We’re working hard to get me all the way back.” Later the White House releases photos of the president signing a paper and sitting at a long conference table.

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/04/trump-and-coronavirus-timeline-how-white-house-responded/3609794001/

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White House physician Sean Conley draws scrutiny for rosy assessments of Trump’s health – The Washington Post

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sean-conley-trump-health/2020/10/04/af63a16e-0653-11eb-a166-dc429b380d10_story.html

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Wisconsin adds fewer than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for first time in 5 days – WBAY

Wisconsin health officials report more than 1,800 people have tested positive for the coronavirus Sunday. This breaks a five day streak of the state adding more than 2,000 cases a day.

According to Sunday’s report, 10,815 tests came back and 1,865 were positive, or 17.24%. State officials say Wisconsin is averaging 2,400 cases a day for the past 7 days. A total 132,663 people in Wisconsin have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 throughout the past 8 months.

The 7-day average percentage of positive tests, known as the positivity rate, is at 20.23%. That percentage reached 21.71% on Saturday. The 14-day average decreased Sunday to 19.38% after setting a new high Saturday of 19.58%.

Health officials say the death toll rose by five on Sunday to 1,377. One new death was reported in Dodge, Forest, Shawano, Waukesha and Wood County.

The death rate for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 fell to 1.04%, a decrease from Saturday’s report of 1.05%. That percentage has declined since Friday.

County-by-county case numbers from the Department of Health Services are listed below.

DHS reports 24,264 currently active cases, meaning 18.3% of all cases over the past 8 months were diagnosed within the last 30 days and haven’t been medically cleared. There are 107,004 people who are considered recovered, which is 80.7% of all cases. For comparison, one month ago 9.5% of all known cases were active and 89% were recovered.

In the past 24 hours there were 58 more hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients. The 7-day average is up to almost 79 people hospitalized each day. The number of all people diagnosed with the coronavirus requiring hospitalization is up to 7,646. The hospitalization rate is 5.8% of diagnosed cases.

As of Sunday, the DHS report says the state’s 134 hospitals currently have 714 COVID-19 patients with 194 in intensive care – six fewer in ICU than Saturday. The Wisconsin Hospital Association says 16% of all ICU hospital beds in the state are available.

The DHS reports Sunday that the 8-county Fox Valley Region had 129 COVID-19 patients, 8 in ICU, with 12% of medical beds available. The Northeast Region has 125 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 43 in ICU, with 26% of beds available.

Daily hospitalization numbers take deaths and hospital discharges into account.

Viewers have asked us how the state compiles its numbers. The state only counts a person once in its summary of positive and negative tests, no matter how many times a person might be tested. The DHS reports deaths attributed to COVID-19 or in which COVID-19 contributed to their death. Most of the people severely affected by the coronavirus have underlying illnesses or conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or obesity, which sadly affects their chances of dying from COVID-19. The state may revise case and death numbers after further review, such as the victim’s residence, duplicated records, or a correction in lab results. Details can be found on the DHS website and Frequently Asked Questions.

[CLICK HERE to find a community testing site]

Health Departments Overwhelmed

The De Pere and Oneida Nation Health Departments, as well as the Brown County Health and Human Services Department, issued a joint Public Health Emergency COVID-19 alert Saturday, citing very high levels of COVID-19 cases resulting in increased COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths.

This comes after public health departments in the Fox Valley declared an emergency alert Friday, saying they’re so inundated with new cases they can’t notify people who test positive in a timely manner — much less their close contacts. Manitowoc and Door county health departments this week announced made similar announcements this week.

State health officials say with local health departments overwhelmed, it’s going to be harder to identify the source of outbreaks. People who test positive are advised to reach out themselves to people who had close contact and ask them to quarantine until the 14th day from their last contact.

Guidance for local health departments

This week, the DHS released a document local health departments can use for guidance to slow the spread of the virus. You can read the document HERE.

For counties with Very High case activity — which is a majority of counties in Northeastern Wisconsin — the recommendations read very much like the Safer-at-Home order early in the pandemic:

Consider closing indoor and outdoor bars
Restaurants should consider only takeout, pickup or delivery
No indoor gatherings beyond members of the household and limit outdoor gatherings to 10 people or fewer with social distancing and face coverings
Only essential workers in offices and workplaces with monitoring of symptoms, physical distance and masks
Limit retail to 5 customers at a time and consider curbside pickup or mail delivery
Consider not holding outdoor concerts, festivals or sporting events
Consider not opening gyms or campgrounds except with minimum operations.

Health experts say face masks are still the most effective way the general public can slow the spread of the coronavirus, but only if the masks are worn appropriately — over the nose and chin. County and state health officials are reminding and urging people to stay home when they feel sick, avoid large gatherings, and distance yourself six feet from people who aren’t from your household.

To help people understand how their decisions affect their own health and others, the Department of Health Services has a decision tool at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/decision.htm. The tool describes how choices matter and offers suggestions to make activities safer.

New web tools show county, hospital burdens

The Department of Health Services debuted two more online tools Wednesday to help people understand the spread of the COVID-19 virus in their county and how it’s affecting hospitals. “This data is increasingly important for us and local decision makers as this pandemic gets increasingly critical,” DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk told Action 2 News Wednesday.

A display of disease activity indicates whether counties are experiencing a low to very high spread of the virus based on new cases per capita and also indicates how many counties at each level are continuing to see a rise in cases or are starting to see cases wane. A look at hospital capacity offers a graphical look at daily hospitalizations for COVID-19 and what percent of beds (including ICU beds) and ventilators are available. The state updates these charts every Wednesday by 4 P.M.

Disease activity by county: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/disease.htm

Hospital capacity: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/capacity.htm

The state also improved its charts to display 7-day averages for the percent of tests coming back positive, including a chart that includes people tested more than once. The DHS will continue only reporting results for a person once in its summary data, which is the information Action 2 News relies on for its reports each day and is the most widely accepted method for reporting results, including by the CDC.

And the state is further breaking down case numbers among youth, so schools and parents can get a better idea of how the coronavirus is spreading among, say, preschool vs. elementary vs. high school ages.

SUNDAY’S CASE NUMBERS AS REPORTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES (counties with additional cases and/or deaths are indicated in bold)

Wisconsin

Adams – 277 cases (+1) (4 deaths)
Ashland – 157 cases (+7) (2 deaths)
Barron – 522 cases (+6) (6 deaths)
Bayfield – 127 cases (+2) (1 death)
Brown – 10,453 cases (+55) (69 deaths)
Buffalo – 159 cases (+3) (2 deaths)
Burnett – 220 cases (+3) (4 deaths)
Calumet – 1,527 cases (+55) (5 deaths)
Chippewa – 641 cases (+11)
Clark – 474 cases (+4) (8 deaths)
Columbia – 825 cases (+37) (3 deaths)
Crawford – 197 cases (+3)
Dane – 10,452 cases (+113) (43 deaths)
Dodge – 2,178 cases (+41) (19 deaths) (+1)
Door – 428 cases (+15) (3 deaths)
Douglas – 546 cases (+6)
Dunn – 682 cases (+9) (1 death)
Eau Claire – 2,123 cases (+23) (7 deaths)
Florence – 110 cases (2 deaths)
Fond du Lac – 2,455 cases (+40) (14 deaths)
Forest – 335 cases (+5) (7 deaths) (+1)
Grant – 1,201 cases (+38) (19 deaths)
Green – 598 cases (+16) (3 deaths)
Green Lake – 353 cases (+5)
Iowa – 213 cases
Iron – 147 cases (1 death)
Jackson – 176 cases (+4) (1 death)
Jefferson – 1,651 cases (+38) (8 deaths)
Juneau – 455 cases (+5) (2 deaths)
Kenosha – 3,708 cases (+20) (68 deaths)
Kewaunee – 703 cases (+17) (2 deaths)
La Crosse – 3,299 cases (+15) (4 deaths)
Lafayette – 356 cases (+7)
Langlade – 297 cases (+29) (2 deaths)
Lincoln – 312 cases (+18) (1 death)
Manitowoc – 1,412 cases (+66) (5 deaths)
Marathon – 1,861 cases (+51) (16 deaths)
Marinette – 1,118 cases (+18) (9 deaths)
Marquette – 342 cases (+12) (1 death)
Menominee – 119 cases (+12)
Milwaukee – 30,318 (+226) (545 deaths)
Monroe – 656 cases (+21) (3 deaths)
Oconto – 1,173 cases (+21) (4 deaths)
Oneida – 594 cases (+23) (4 deaths)
Outagamie – 5,486 cases (+105) (32 deaths)
Ozaukee – 1,468 cases (+20) (20 deaths)
Pepin – 70 cases (+1)
Pierce – 470 cases (+2) (7 deaths)
Polk – 282 cases (+3) (2 deaths)
Portage – 1,671 cases (+32) (7 deaths)
Price – 160 cases (+5)
Racine – 5,233 cases (+44) (98 deaths)
Richland – 214 cases (+18) (4 deaths)
Rock – 2,783 cases (+1) (33 deaths)
Rusk – 72 cases (+2) (1 death)
Sauk – 1,030 cases (+18) (4 deaths)
Sawyer – 245 cases (+6) (1 death)
Shawano – 1,271 cases (+74) (4 deaths) (+1)
Sheboygan – 2,169 cases (+14) (19 deaths)
St. Croix – 1,052 cases (+25) (9 deaths)
Taylor – 236 cases (+8) (4 deaths)
Trempealeau – 719 cases (+2) (2 deaths)
Vernon – 282 cases (+8) (1 death)
Vilas – 286 cases (+14) (1 death)
Walworth – 2,749 cases (+21) (35 deaths)
Washburn – 129 cases (+1) (2 deaths)
Washington – 2,916 cases (+43) (35 deaths)
Waukesha – 8,118 cases (+59) (94 deaths) (+1)
Waupaca – 1,320 cases (+45) (21 deaths)
Waushara – 448 cases (+9) (3 deaths)
Winnebago – 4,890 cases (+164) (34 deaths)
Wood – 944 cases (+20) (6 deaths) (+1)

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Numbers are from Saturday)*

Alger – 21 cases
Baraga – 35 cases (3 deaths)
Chippewa – 54 cases
Delta – 575 cases (8 deaths)
Dickinson – 208 cases (2 deaths)
Gogebic – 160 cases (1 death)
Houghton – 535 cases (3 deaths)
Iron – 242 cases (7 deaths)
Keweenaw – 11 cases
Luce – 13 cases
Mackinac – 54 cases
Marquette – 352 cases (12 deaths)
Menominee – 394 cases (3 deaths)
Ontonagon – 44 cases
Schoolcraft – 33 cases

*The State of Michigan will only report county case numbers Monday-Saturday. State health officials say weekend data are often erratic and generally lower than other days due to reduced testing and lab staffing.

Symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified these as possible symptoms of COVID-19:

Fever of 100.4 or higher
Cough
Shortness of breath
Chills
Repeated shaking with chills
Muscle pain
Headache
Sore throat
New loss of taste or smell

Prevention

The coronavirus is a new, or “novel,” virus. Nobody has a natural immunity to it. Children and teens seem to recover best from the virus. Older people and those with underlying health conditions (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) are considered at high risk, according to the CDC. Precautions are also needed around people with developing or weakened immune systems.
To help prevent the spread of the virus:
Stay at least six feet away from other people
Avoid close contact with people who are or appear sick
Stay at home as much as possible
Cancel events and avoid groups, gatherings, play dates and nonessential appointments
Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care
Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
Cover your mouth and nose with a mask. At a minimum, use a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.

Source Article from https://www.wbay.com/2020/10/04/wisconsin-adds-fewer-than-2000-new-coronavirus-cases-for-first-time-in-5-days/

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Pelosi says she’s not being briefed on Trump’s health – CNN

By Paul LeBlanc, CNN

Updated 9:40 PM ET, Sun October 4, 2020

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/04/politics/pelosi-trump-coronavirus/index.html

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Nine ZIP codes in New York City may shut down after Covid spikes, mayor says – CNBC

Nine ZIP codes in Brooklyn and Queens will most likely shut down on Wednesday, if the state of New York approves, due to a recent spike in coronavirus cases, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday.

The shutdown means that non-essential businesses, as well as public and private schools in those ZIP codes would close because coronavirus cases are being reported above a 3 percent positivity rate over the last seven days, according to NBC New York.

De Blasio said he was calling on New York state for assistance in closing the specific ZIP codes as the city attempts to bring down the positivity rate.

“I’m very aware of challenges it will cause,” de Blasio said during a press conference Sunday. “I’m very aware for the people in the nine ZIP codes, there’s a tough period ahead, but I know we will overcome.”

The ZIP codes affected by the proposed shutdown, NBC News reported, would be:

11691 (Edgemere/Far Rockaway)
11219 (Borough Park)
11223 (Gravesend)
11230 (Midwood)
11204 (Bensonhurt/Mapleton)
11210 (Flatlands/Midwood)
11229 (Gerritsen Beach/Homecrest/Sheepshead Bay)
11415 (Kew Gardens)
11367 (Kew Gardens Hills/Pomonok)

The closures would affect approximately half a million people. The ZIP codes also contain approximately 300 schools.

Students in those schools would be allow to return to class on Monday and Tuesday to plan for virtual learning, NBC New York reported.

Eleven more ZIP codes were being monitored but have not met the threshold for the 3 percent positivity rate, according to de Blasio. The city has proposed closing indoor dining, gyms and pools in the 11 additional ZIP codes, but did not plan on closing non-essential businesses and schools at this time, according to NBC New York.

Those 11 areas included parts of East Williamsburg, Southern Brooklyn and Central Queens.

In a series of tweets, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said “local governments had not done an effective job of enforcement in these hotspot ZIP codes,” but said, historically, compliance had increased when the state stepped in.

“NYS will be doing aggressive enforcement starting tomorrow,” Cuomo tweeted on Sunday about enforcement starting on Monday. “As we saw with bars and restaurants, when the state initiated enforcement actions compliance greatly increased.”

Cuomo added that the state can’t take over enforcing compliance in every jurisdiction.

“If a local jurisdiction cannot or will not perform effective enforcement of violating entities, notify the State & we will close all business activity in hotspots where local gov’t can’t do compliance,” Cuomo wrote.

“I’m concerned about the lack of testing in the schools. If the localities do not do testing immediately in the schools in those areas, the State will close them immediately,” he added. “We all want schools to reopen IF they can reopen safely. I have assured the parents of this state that I would not send my child to a school that I didn’t know was safe. Without testing we can’t assure parents and teachers of the safety of that school.”

De Blasio said Sunday that he was awaiting approval from the state and that the move was being done as a precaution to prevent further spread.

Cuomo said he was putting together a task force to do “targeted enforcement” where there have been clusters of outbreaks.

Cuomo said the collection of 20 ZIP codes had a positivity rate of 4.8 percent on Saturday, according to NBC New York, which was a slight decrease from Friday when the rate with 5.2 percent. He added that weekend data could be slightly skewed. On Satruday, 110,000 coronavirus tests were performed and on Friday, a record-high 134,000 tests were performed, NBC New York reported.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/04/nine-zip-codes-in-new-york-city-may-shut-down-after-covid-spikes-mayor-says-.html

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McConnell says Senate won’t meet as planned after a third senator tests positive. – The New York Times

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, announced on Saturday that the Senate would not meet as planned next week after three senators tested positive for the virus, but indicated that Republicans would press ahead to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court without delay.

“The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out,” Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said in a statement, adding that the Senate Judiciary Committee had “successfully” met with senators appearing both in person and virtually since May.

The announcement comes after three members of Mr. McConnell’s conference, two of them on the Judiciary Committee, have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 24 hours. Others, like Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, have tested negative but have gone into quarantine.

Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, the third Republican senator to test positive for the coronavirus this week, was exposed to an individual earlier in the week who tested positive for the virus, according to his office, which said the senator was “not experiencing symptoms.” He did not attend President Trump’s nomination ceremony for Judge Barrett at the Rose Garden on Saturday.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/us/elections/mcconnell-says-senate-wont-meet-as-planned-after-a-third-senator-tests-positive.html

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If the president engages in risky behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, can the Secret Service – or anyone – stop him? – USA TODAY

Patricia Beckford Acheson can empathize with the Secret Service detail protecting President Donald Trump.

Acheson was among the first women assigned to the agency’s permanent protection detail, spending more than three years protecting then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in the early 1980s.

“Our biggest fear was the lone assassin, but things have changed so much,” the retired agent told USA TODAY. “Now they are dealing with organized terrorism and with COVID. The threats against a president nowadays are mind-boggling.”

Agents make safety recommendations that generally are accepted. If not, such as in the case of presidents exiting limousines to greet crowds, some kind of mutual accommodations usually are made. The bottom line is that the president makes the call.

“Ultimately, our job is not to say ‘no,’ it is to protect,” Acheson said.

‘Ups and downs’: Doctors say Trump is improving while hospitalized

Former Secret Service directors W. Ralph Basham and Lewis Merletti said the White House medical office is responsible for providing advice and recommendations on the potential threat posed by disease and other health issues, which are factored into the overall security plan. Basham said the security and health challenge posed by the coronavirus is unprecedented.

“We are in uncharted waters,” said Basham, who served as director from 2003 to 2006. “We haven’t seen anything like this before.”

Forget those made-for-TV moments when agents hustle a balking president into a bunker. They may push the president out of immediate harm’s way, but longer-term decisions are subject to presidential approval. How well they are received often depends on the relationship between the president and his protective detail, former Secret Service director John Magaw said.

“You have to be careful because you don’t want to cry wolf, but you also want to be clear about any concerns you may have,” Magaw said.

Trump invited dozens of politicians and high-profile dignitaries to the White House Rose Garden on Sept. 26 to introduce Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the nation’s high court. Many at the gathering did not wear masks, and social distancing was not apparent. Audience members sat in chairs packed next to each other, and some of them exchanged hugs. After that, the president and at least seven others tested positive for COVID-19.

The Secret Service declined to comment.

“I feel so badly because agents have a job, and they are sworn to do it and they will do it,” Acheson said. “But how do you protect someone from COVID?”

Not just Trump: US records the most daily infections in nearly 2 months

Trump took a three-month hiatus from large public rallies starting in March. That ended with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 20 that drew a far-from-capacity crowd to the 19,000-seat BOK Center. The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, said two Secret Service agents tested positive in Tulsa. Other campaign events featuring little or no social distancing followed.

“If he wants to do something, then we will do everything in our power to make sure that it can be done safely and securely,” Magaw said. “The bottom line, it’s his call.”

Ogbonnaya Omenka, an assistant professor who specializes in public health at Butler University’s college of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, told USA TODAY that in an “ideal world,” such gatherings would not take place in the virus climate.

“For any public gathering, maintaining the public health guidelines should be a top priority,” he said. “However, no matter how sound the public health recommendations are, the key consideration lies in whether organizers … adhere to them or not.”

Biden surges to 14-point lead after caustic first debate, poll finds

Though largely a responsibility for medical authorities, the virus could raise sensitive security questions for the Secret Service, Basham said. If the agency suspected, for example, that the president was ill with COVID-19 during a debate or other joint appearance with his Democratic rival, Basham said, the service would probably have the obligation to take its concerns to the White House medical office so Joe Biden – another service protectee – could be alerted to the risk.

“These are very difficult situations to be in,” Basham said.

The Secret Service was founded to combat widespread counterfeiting of U.S. currency after the Civil War. In 1901, the agency was asked to begin its protective mission after the assassination of President William McKinley.

Less than two decades later, the “Spanish flu” emerged in 1918. Much like Trump, President Woodrow Wilson downplayed it. And like Trump, Wilson became infected, contracting the illness shortly after arriving in Paris in April 1919. Sarah Fling, a fellow writing for the White House Historical Association, said a number of members of the Wilson entourage became ill during a trans-Atlantic voyage in February 1919 – including several members of the Secret Service.

The Secret Service doesn’t protect presidents alone, calling upon other federal, state and local agencies to assist on a daily basis. When the president travels, an advance team of Secret Service agents works with the host city, state and local law enforcement and public safety officials to put the necessary security measures in place.

When Bush plunged into a friendly crowd, Magaw said, he often had a hand on the president’s belt, so he could physically move him in the event of an emergency. He said Bush knew of the need for hands-on protection and accommodated the service by wearing uniformly tailored suits with a single belt loop on the back of his pants, so Magaw had a relatively clear spot to grasp without becoming entangled.

The agency was moved to act when Bush’s penchant for speedboating on the waters near his family retreat in Maine raised concerns. Magaw said he talked to Bush about installing a safety bar near the captain’s chair, where the president and Secret Service agent would attach themselves to guard against an unexpected fall overboard.

“The relationship and rapport is very important,” Magaw said. “That’s why you spend time with them and talk through exactly how you are going to proceed.”

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/10/04/trump-covid-19-can-secret-service-stop-presidents-risky-behavior/3616022001/

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Dow futures rise 200 points in overnight trading as investors monitor Trump’s health – CNBC

Stock futures rose in overnight trading on Sunday as investors brace for another volatile week with President Donald Trump’s hospitalization adding more uncertainty to the market outlook ahead of Election Day.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed about 200 points. The S&P 500 futures and the Nasdaq 100 futures both rose about 0.7%.

Trump said in a minute-long video posted on Twitter late Sunday that “we are getting great reports from the doctors.” The president also took a short, last-minute motorcade ride to wave to his supporters standing outside the hospital.

Still, Trump doesn’t seem to be out of the woods yet after his doctors said they had begun treating him with dexamethasone, a steroid recommended for severe cases of Covid-19. The president was said to have experienced two drops in his oxygen levels since his diagnosis announcement just before 1 a.m. ET on Friday.

Trump was transferred to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday after he was given antiviral drug remdesivir. Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said Sunday that his condition has improved and may be discharged as soon as Monday.

“This announcement added yet another level of uncertainty to the election…an election that is in itself one of the many uncertainties surrounding the stock market,” Matt Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak, said in a note on Sunday.

After Trump’s diagnosis, Joe Biden opened his widest lead in a month in the presidential race with 51% those polled backing him and 41% voting for Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday.

A win for the former vice president in November could spell headaches for Wall Street in the form of higher taxes and tighter regulations, but some also say it could lead to a bigger fiscal stimulus deal that would be good for stocks.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/04/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html

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White House doctor announced Trump is being treated with dexamethasone. Here’s what we know about the drug. – USA TODAY

President Donald Trump’s condition has continued to improve since being taken to the hospital Friday due to symptoms from a COVID-19 infection, White House physician Sean Conley told reporters on Sunday.

Conley had previously said he was using a “multi-prong” approach to treat Trump. He said Sunday that included the steroid dexamethasone in response to Trump’s blood oxygen level dropping twice.

An affordable, widely available steroid, dexamethasone has shown promise in improving survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Although the British government has authorized its use among some patients, it remains unclear how beneficial the treatment may be for less severe COVID-19 cases. Further, it has not been peer-reviewed or replicated in other studies.

“This is a significant improvement in the available therapeutic options that we have,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease expert.

What we know about the potentially lifesaving treatment:

What is dexamethasone?

Usually prescribed as an oral or intravenous steroid, dexamethasone is a general purpose anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling drug used for a variety of conditions, said Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious disease doctor and associate professor of medicine at Yale, in June.

Like other steroids, however, “it is a non-specific treatment not necessarily targeting a single, specific pathway of inflammation or swelling,” Ogbuagu says. That has its drawbacks.

How is it used to treat COVID-19 patients?

Generally, COVID-19 comes in two phases, explained Ogbuagu.

“People get the virus, it replicates, and that’s the first phase of the illness,” he said. “Afterward, around 10 days into the infection, people start to produce antibodies and inflammatory reactions to the virus.”

These inflammatory chemicals can sometimes create severe COVID-19 complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, which makes it difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream and reach organs.

Patients with severe COVID-19 complications saw significant benefits with dexamethasone in the United Kingdom study. These patients took it for 10 days, either orally or via IV.

As of June, it had reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.

Trump is receiving lots of medical care. Some doctors wonder if it’s too much.

Are there complications?

Ogbuagu notes that timing and selectiveness among patients is critical to ensure dexamethasone is properly used as a treatment for COVID-19.

Early findings suggest COVID-19 patients who do not have severe symptoms, such as requiring a respirator, should not take dexamethasone.

“The downside of steroids is that it’s not selective,” Ogbuagu said. “It’s a double-edged sword that may hinder your body’s ability to fight the virus.”

He noted that some studies have found higher mortality rates in people who used steroids, since they inhibit the body’s immune response to the virus.

The World Health Organization and other organizations advise against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can impede clearing the virus.

Ogbuagu also says that steroids, in general, may cause some severe side effects, such as new or worsening diabetes, as well as psychosis or emotional disturbance.

What does it mean for the president?

“It is common for people who hold positions of stature to get more aggressive care because there’s pressure to give someone everything imaginable. I would hope his physicians are being very deliberate in the treatment,” said Dr. Russell Buhr, a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

That could explain why the president is receiving relatively aggressive treatment for someone whose physician described him as “doing very well” on both Saturday and Sunday.

But Buhr said that he doesn’t “think we can speculate on the reasons behind the care.”

Contributing: Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY, Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY.

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/10/04/donald-trump-covid-19-what-we-know-steroid-dexamethasone/3616811001/

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Trump 14 points behind Biden a month before election, new poll shows – The Guardian

Donald Trump’s beleaguered campaign team woke up to another setback on Sunday as the president began his second full day in hospital: a new national poll showing their candidate 14 points behind his challenger Joe Biden with less than a month until the election day.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal survey indicating a 53-39% advantage for the Democratic party’s nominee injected urgency for Trump’s advisers already scrambling to find a strategy for the final weeks of the campaign until 3 November.

It was becoming clear that Vice-President Mike Pence, who has tested negative for coronavirus, and members of Trump’s family, once they emerge from quarantine, will assume leading roles at virtual, then in-person rallies until or unless Trump himself recovers in time to resume campaigning.

“It’s important that our campaign vigorously proceeds,” Trump campaign senior adviser Steve Cortes said on Fox News Sunday.

“The Maga [Make America Great Again) movement is bigger than just President Trump. He’s instrumental of course but he is not the only key element. The other people, including of course the vice-president, campaign people, millions of regular Americans need to step up and to some degree fill the void that is left because our champion, our main instrument, is not able at this moment to vigorously campaign.”

Pence has public campaign events planned in Arizona, Nevada and Washington DC, and will travel to Salt Lake City for Wednesday’s vice-presidential debate with Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, at which the Trump team is looking for a strong performance.

The NBC poll showing Biden widening his lead over Trump was taken immediately after last Tuesday’s tumultuous first presidential debate in Cleveland, at which an argumentative president constantly interrupted both his rival and the moderator Chris Wallace.

Jason Miller, another senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said he had “no concerns” about Pence travelling and campaigning.

“We’re in a campaign, we have a month to go, we see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris out there campaigning,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press.

“He’s going to have a full aggressive schedule, as will the first family, Don, Eric, Ivanka. We have a number of our supporters, our coalition, Black Voices for Trump, Latinos for Trump, the whole operation Maga will be deploying everywhere.

“We can’t hide from this virus forever, we have to take it head on [and] as soon as we’re able to get back out there in person we’ll do so,” he added.

Meanwhile, Biden’s campaigning since Trump’s hospitalisation on Friday night has been low key. On Sunday, pool reporters covering the former vice-president at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, were informed of a “lid” – the formal announcement of the end of any public appearances or statements for the day – at 9.16am.

The Biden campaign announced on Friday that it was suspending negative messages attacking the president while he was in hospital, although Amy Klobuchar, Democratic senator for Minnesota, said on Sunday that did not mean Trump’s handling of the pandemic, or his economic record, were off limits.

“Not discussions about Covid, when you have 7 million people who have had this virus,” Klobuchar said on Fox News Sunday when Wallace asked her what subjects Biden would not discuss.

“[Biden] has said, ‘Look, I want the president to be back,’ he wants to debate him more, he wants him to have a speedy recovery. It isn’t about politics or partisanship, but certainly the pandemic, the effect it has had on people’s lives, how they have miscalculated in this administration, of course that’s on the table.”

Despite Sunday’s early cessation of campaign activity, Biden’s team has said it has no plans to scale back events as long as the candidate and those around him continue to test negative for Covid-19.

“Joe Biden will be at that debate,” senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders said of the second presidential debate scheduled for 15 October in Miami. “We are hoping that President Trump can participate.”

Some political analysts believe Trump’s hospital stay will be further damaging on his campaign following the damage wrought by a poor debate performance.

“I’ve had conversations with Republicans working in swing states around the country and they are alarmed,” Steve Hayes, founder and chief executive of the Dispatch, told Fox News Sunday.

“It’s not just affecting President Trump. People look at the debate performance negatively but it’s also starting to affect Republicans down ballot. If this current trajectory continues through November the third, we’re going to be talking about a lot more Republican senators at risk than we’re talking about right now.”

Topics

US elections 2020

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/04/trump-behind-biden-election-poll-shows

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Glass Fire: New evacuation orders Sunday as state passes 4 million acres burned – The Mercury News

Fire crews worked through another hot, dry day in northern Napa County as they continued to try to stop the stubborn Glass Fire, which forced new evacuation orders in California’s Wine Country and helped set a staggering record, with more than 4 million acres burned so far.

“I thought 2018 was horrendous,” CalFire deputy chief Scott McLean said Sunday. “There are really no words to describe it.”

Two years ago, the state saw a then-record 1.67 million acres burn. This year, California passed the 4-million acre milestone — an area larger than the state of Rhode Island — with almost two months left in its fire season.

So far, 63,885 acres have burned in Napa and Sonoma counties due to the Glass Fire, destroying homes and vineyards north of Calistoga and east of St. Helena. As of Sunday morning, the fire was 17 percent contained, CalFire reported.

Previous evacuation orders were expanded Sunday to include the area from the west bordered by Highway 29 at the Robert Louis Stevenson trailhead, the north by Livermore Road, and the east by Aetna Milne Road.

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CalFire officials sounded optimistic during a Sunday morning briefing because of a forecasted cooling trend coming this week. Incident commander Billy See said crews were developing plans to get evacuees home.

“We’re working on a make safe re-entry program,” he said, adding that 12 damage inspection teams were surveying the area. “That is the primary goal of all of this.”

Brian Newman, a fire behavior analyst with CalFire, said the emphasis Sunday was thwarting any new outbreaks in east-west drainage areas that had yet to experience much wind.

Newman had said earlier Sunday in a recorded video provided by CalFire that the current hot spots were along Highway 29 near the Hennessey Fire burn area. The Hennessey Fire ignited Aug. 17 because of lightning and forced more than 17,000 people to evacuate, according to fire officials.

Newman said the current blaze is moving toward the Hennessey Fire scar, “which is helping our efforts there.”

The Glass Fire is one of 23 major fires burning throughout the state during a historic fire season that has drained resources and frayed people’s nerves. The active blazes have consumed some 3.6 million acres, CalFire said Sunday.

The massive August Complex, two huge zones burning in Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties, was at roughly 50% containment, having consumed almost 1 million acres of land.

“The largest fire we’d ever expected to see was the Mendocino Complex” in 2018, which burned about 460,000 acres, McLean said. “Now we’ve doubled that with the August Complex.”

Even as weather conditions began to moderate, Sunday remained a dangerous day of hot weather, strong breezes and low humidity.

Tom Bird, a CalFire incident meteorologist, said a persistent upper-level high-pressure ridge over the West Coast has led to temperatures 15 degrees to 25 degrees above normal.

“We have come under this large, oppressive area of high pressure that has settled over our region and is anchored here and continues to stay in place,” he said during the briefing. “That is the feature that is responsible for this abnormality hot weather. It is affecting all the fires in the region.”

Bird said one problem for fire crews has been warm nights with low relative humidity. The condition has allowed fuels to stay dry at night.

“You compound that day after day after day and it makes things much worse than what is typical,” he said.

Bird said conditions will improve as the winds shift to west and southwest.

“We’re not expecting any wind events to push hard on the fire,” he added. “And our nighttime recoveries will up come, which will really help.”

Temperatures were expected to decrease into the 80s and 70s this week as a marine layer moves in, raising moisture levels. Rain could strongly aid the firefighting efforts later in the week, especially at higher elevations, the National Weather Service said, though that forecast remained far from certain.

“We’re thinking a quarter inch is something we can hang our hat on,” Bird said.

McLean warned that the impending storm will not be a cure-all with months to go this fire season.

“It will help but things can change back to where they were right after if we get dry weather and wind again,” he said. “We’re not going to get out of dry spells until we have several years of significant winters.”

The National Weather Service’s San Francisco Bay Area office reported Sunday morning that warm and dry weather conditions would continue across the interior whereas coastal areas were cooling with a deepening marine layer. Bay Area skies were also noticeably clearer Sunday morning, with air-quality levels in the good to moderate range over much of the South Bay and East Bay.

In Sonoma County, south of Santa Rosa, crews have been aided by some control lines left behind after the deadly 2017 Tubbs Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes in that city and caused 22 deaths.

Since it started on Sept. 27th, the fire has destroyed 120 single-family homes, four multi-family residences and one mixed residential and commercial property in Sonoma County. Eight commercial structures have been destroyed, as have 131 minor structures and outbuildings. Meanwhile, 173 single-family homes and one mixed residential and commercial property have been destroyed in Napa County, along with 264 commercial buildings and 123 minor structures.

Further north, the deadly Zogg Fire in Shasta and Tehama counties continued to burn a mix of grass, oak and timber fuels. The fire, which has caused four civilian deaths, has burned 56,305 acres and was 68 percent contained as of Sunday morning. It has destroyed 196 structures and damaged 26 other buildings. Some evacuation orders along Plantina Road were lifted Sunday morning.

The Dolan Fire, which has burned almost 125,000 acres south of Big Sur since it sparked in late August, was near 90 percent containment as of Saturday. Fresno County’s Creek Fire was reported at 62 percent containment at more than 315,000 acres.

Bay Area News Group staff writers Fiona Kelliher and Leonardo Castañeda contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.mercurynews.com/glass-fire-new-evacuation-orders-sunday-as-state-passes-4-million-acres-burned

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